Shenzhou-10 mission set for launch
By Yang Jian |
June 10, 2013, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China's Shenzhou-10 spacecraft is due to launch tomorrow, officials said yesterday.
Weather permitting, the spacecraft, with its crew of three, will take off at around 5pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest Gansu Province, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of the country's manned space program.
The three astronauts, including Wang Yaping, who will become China's second woman in space, are already at the launch site where they have undergone final training, Tong Xudong, director of the manned space program office, told reporters.
The Shenzhou-10 spacecraft and the Long March-2F carrier rocket are both ready for launch, said Zhang Zhi, deputy chief designer of the carrier rocket system.
Meanwhile, two rescue vessels from the East China Sea Rescue Bureau, one with a helicopter, set off from Shanghai yesterday.
The vessels will be in charge of search and rescue work should there be any problems during the ascent of the Shenzhou-10 spacecraft, said Lin Daqin, captain of the J101, one of the vessels.
If the module was ejected at any time during the launch for any reason, it would come down into the East China Sea and the vessels would be in position and able to locate it immediately.
The bureau has set up a rescue zone between Lianyungang in east China's Jiangsu Province and the Territory of Guahan.
The astronauts will stay in the space for more than a fortnight to carry out manual and automatic docking experiments between the spacecraft and the orbiting lab module Tiangong-1 that was launched in 2011.
"The three astronauts will stay in orbit for 15 days, including 12 days when they will have various scientific experiments inside the coupled complex of the Shenzhou-10 and Tiangong-1," said Zhou.
A new mission of the Shenzhou-10 is for astronauts to steer their spacecraft into orbit around the Tiangong module, a key technology for China's space station ambitions, Zhou said.
Wang, 35, a former air force pilot, will become the second Chinese woman in space after Liu Yang, who was on board the Shenzhou-9 mission in 2012.
Weather permitting, the spacecraft, with its crew of three, will take off at around 5pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest Gansu Province, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of the country's manned space program.
The three astronauts, including Wang Yaping, who will become China's second woman in space, are already at the launch site where they have undergone final training, Tong Xudong, director of the manned space program office, told reporters.
The Shenzhou-10 spacecraft and the Long March-2F carrier rocket are both ready for launch, said Zhang Zhi, deputy chief designer of the carrier rocket system.
Meanwhile, two rescue vessels from the East China Sea Rescue Bureau, one with a helicopter, set off from Shanghai yesterday.
The vessels will be in charge of search and rescue work should there be any problems during the ascent of the Shenzhou-10 spacecraft, said Lin Daqin, captain of the J101, one of the vessels.
If the module was ejected at any time during the launch for any reason, it would come down into the East China Sea and the vessels would be in position and able to locate it immediately.
The bureau has set up a rescue zone between Lianyungang in east China's Jiangsu Province and the Territory of Guahan.
The astronauts will stay in the space for more than a fortnight to carry out manual and automatic docking experiments between the spacecraft and the orbiting lab module Tiangong-1 that was launched in 2011.
"The three astronauts will stay in orbit for 15 days, including 12 days when they will have various scientific experiments inside the coupled complex of the Shenzhou-10 and Tiangong-1," said Zhou.
A new mission of the Shenzhou-10 is for astronauts to steer their spacecraft into orbit around the Tiangong module, a key technology for China's space station ambitions, Zhou said.
Wang, 35, a former air force pilot, will become the second Chinese woman in space after Liu Yang, who was on board the Shenzhou-9 mission in 2012.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
